Jack Grealish revels in Man City Champions League win - ‘It’s what you work your whole life for’
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Updated 10/06/2023 at 21:47 GMT
Manchester City winger Jack Grealish suggested he had been one of his team's worst performers on Saturday night as they defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul to secure the Champions League and Treble. However he, like Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan, was elated to have secured the three most prestigious trophies on offer to them at the start of the season.
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Manchester City winger Jack Grealish was full of pride as he celebrated a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final.
Grealish and his team-mates became just the second Premier League side to win the Treble, having already secured the Premier League title and FA Cup over the last few weeks.
The former Aston Villa player has been one of the standout performers at times during the campaign for Pep Guardiola’s men, though speaking to BT Sport after the match, he believed he had been off the boil against Inter.
“It’s what you work your whole life for, innit?” he said.
"I’m just so happy, man,” he added.
“They played so good today and I was awful but I don’t care. To win the treble with these players and staff, it’s just so special.”
It was Rodri who scored the second-half winner for City, and he was similarly elated.
“I’m emotional,” he said.
“This is a dream come true. All these guys around here, waiting 20, 30, 40 years … I have been here just four years but they deserve; I deserve. In the last years we were so close.
“It wasn’t easy. I mean, what a team we faced.
“It was unbelievable the way they defended, the way they counter-attacked. They deserve also credit because they are a great team but I don’t want to forget about my lads. I wasn’t good in the first half, I was playing s*** to be honest. And then I just said to myself you have to overcome this mentality and I scored the goal.”
Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan added: "Unbelievable. Difficult to put in words. Today we made history,
"It was difficult for both teams. We weren't at our best in the first half. We were hesitating. We knew we had to do better in the second.
"It was probably a 50-50 game. We feel very fortunate it was for us.
"We knew everyone was talking about the Treble. The pressure was there but this team is built to handle the pressure in the best possible way."
Defender John Stones was delighted to have finally won the Champions League for the club.
He noted: "It was the thing we were missing. I feel so pleased. It's a pleasure to be a part of this team and create this history.
"We're only the second team to do the Treble. Both are so special in their own rights in different eras. I'm holding words back because I'm on camera, put it that way.
"We've set the bar high now. After this season, from where we were in the Premier League, to bring it back, win the FA Cup then come here and win this, I can't put it into words.
"I played more like a No. 8 today which I loved. I'm still learning. I don't think I'm the best there but I gave it my all. I thought it paid off. We created chances and there were key moments. Ederson saved that one at the end. Now we can have a good chat about us actually winning this."
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On June 10 and 11 strap yourself in for a live sport rollercoaster ride. With the finals of Roland-Garros, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Speedway Grand Prix, the UCI Mountain Bike World Series, the Criterium du Dauphine, MotoGP and the Champions League final, it’s the Weekend of Champions live on Eurosport, discovery+ and BT Sport.
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